15 May 2026 | "Crushing" Crime

In this episode of The American Radicals Podcast, host Steve Friend delivers a scathing critique of the FBI's practice of claiming credit for crimes solved by local law enforcement. Over the course of 55 minutes, he dissects 14 FBI press releases from across the U.S., revealing that in nearly every case, local police, sheriffs, or county agencies conducted the actual investigation, made the arrest, and gathered the evidence—while the FBI swoops in afterward to claim credit through federal charges and media announcements. From child exploitation and kidnapping to gun trafficking and cybercrime, Friend emphasizes that the FBI's role is often minimal, limited to taking over cases after the danger has passed and the public is no longer paying attention. He exposes the myth of the FBI as a frontline crime-fighting force, arguing instead that local law enforcement is more effective, agile, and deeply embedded in their communities. The episode culminates in a broader indictment of FBI Director Cash Patel’s inflated statistics and PR campaign, which Friend dismantles point by point, revealing them as misleading, manipulated, or outright false. Ultimately, he calls for a systemic shift: empowering local agencies with federal prosecutorial access so they can take full credit and responsibility—without needing the FBI’s bureaucratic middleman.